Practical Assignment 1: Level Network Adjustment

Analysis and Questions

1. Using the covariance matrix of parameters, neatly plot the point

error bars. Explain the nature and cause of any trends that may be
visible.

Cx_hat =
1.00E-04 *
The error bars are the standard deviation of the covariance matrix of
parameters

0.0732
s
0
.d
_
=
0
x
0
_
2
4
3
h
2
1
8
7
5
a
0.039
0.0349
t

(
±
)
0.0324
From the graph below, we can see that the standard deviation is becoming
larger as you go away from the known point 1. The largest standard deviation

0.0294
is at point 5 as it is the furthest away from known point 1 and is measured
from points 4 and 6.

Error bars on the level network

0.0177
2. Which of the residuals are most correlated and how can this be seen
from the correlation matrix of residuals? Explain why these residuals
are most correlated by analyzing the network geometry.
 Corr_coeff_r =
1 1
1 1
-0.1465 -0.1465
Correlation matrix of residuals

The residuals that are more correlated are observation Height differences

0.0687 0.0687
between themselves and the points that are closer to the known point 1.
These residuals are mostly correlated because there geometry location is in
closer proximity to the height of known point (benchmark) 1.

0.0687 0.0687
3. Which station heights are weakly determined? Which are strongly

0.4888 0.4888
determined? Briefly explain your answers, based on the covariance
and correlation matrices of parameters.

Cx_hat =
0.4888 0.4888
-0.5962 -0.5962
1.00E-04 *
0.2469 0.2469
-0.0892 -0.0892
0.0732
0.039
Covariance and correlation matrices of parameters

0.0349
The stations that are weakly determined are stations (observed for matrices
above) 4, 5 and 6 because they have a strong positive correlation between

0.0324
 each other, meaning that they are dependent on one another. While stations
that are strongly determined are 2 and 7 as they have very poor correlation
coefficient as they are less dependent on one another. This means that the
higher the correlation coefficients (1) the more dependent the stations are,
for example stations 2 and 7 are less dependent as they are closer to the
known point 1, while stations 4, 5 and 6 are further away from point 1.

4. How could this network be improved?

This network can be improved by use a close leveling loop method, for
instance, level from known height point 1 to unknown point 2, use point 2 as
back sight, take difference between 2 and unknown point 3 until we have all
the unknown point, and then close back to where we start which is known
height point 1. Get the difference between back sight and foresight and
distribute the difference to each station.